Printing press



K. P. RQLSTQN- 1,844fii5 PRINTING PRESS Filed April 24, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR l fi nnaf/z f g i n Feb. 9, 1932. R RQLSTQN 1,844,075

PRINTING PRESS Filed April 24. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Mme: A15;

Feb. 9, 1932. K, p o s o 1,844,075

PRINTING PRESS Filed April 24, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb. 9, 1932 tennis UNITED vsrare.s PATENT 1 tries KENNETH r. iaoLs'rON, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T nxriiBrroias rRoeBAM 00., an EITTSBUBGH, PENNSYIVANIA, A coieronArioN on PENNSYL- VANIA PRINTING PRESS Application filed April 24,

This invention relates to printing presses and particularly to presses provided with a plurality of ink fountains.

The primary objectof this invention is to provide a pr-inting press with'a plurality of ink fountains to permit the press to be used for printing different colors continuously, without necessitating that the fountain be cleaned after each run of a particular color, 18 as is necessary with a single-fountain press.

Another object of my invention is toprovide a press with a plurality of ink fountains that shall contain different colored inks, and that shall be easily and readily adjusted to '15 supply the desired ink to the distributing ap aratus of the press. r

r nether object of my invention is-to provide a press of the foregoing character in which the operation of Withdrawing a working fountain and substituting an inactive fountain,containing the desired inln'may be easily and readily accomplished in a IIll'IlI- mum space of time.

Another ob ect of my invention is to provide an ink-fountain assembly for a printing press, comprising a plurality of ink fountains for accommodc ting inks of different colors, together with supporting and adjusting means whereby any selected fountain maybe operatively associated or connected to the press, and the inactive fountains'always maintained in the same position.

Another object of my invention is to provide a printing press with a plurality of ink fountains for accommodating inks of different colors, in which the fountains are arranged to move in a substantially cylindrical path. to permit a selected fountain to be connected to the press and to cause the several 40 fountains to occupy substantially the same space, irrespective of which fountain is being used, whereby a minimum amount of space is needed for the fountains.

A further object of my invention is to provide an assembly for aplurality of ink fountains, supported to be movable in a circular path. with means for maintaining the fountains always horizontal, notwithstanding such movement. 501

In cylinder presses that are fed with ink 1939. Serial No. 446,861.

from an ink fountain, considerable time is lost when it 18 desired to change from ink of one color to ink of another color, because of the time required to clean out the ink foun- I tain and to remove the first ink before substituting the second ink. 'At the same time, considerable loss results because of the ink that is wasted when the fountain is cleaned.

In order 'tos'ave' the time of cleaning a fountain, which would otherwise be lost, and also in orderfto obviate the loss of ink,

due to such cleaning, I provide a fountain supplied to the printing press.

In the assembly which I provide, the several'fountains are supported at each-end between two synchronized rotatable elements in such manner as to permit any one of the fountains to be selectively placed in operating position and then connected to the operation mechanism of the press.

Since printing presses ordinarily occupy considerable floor space it is desirable to limit the actual space necessary for theoperation, of the machine to a predetermined minimum. For that reason I arrange the ink fountain assembly so that it will always occupy substantially the same space when in operating position, irrespective of which fountain is being employed to supply ink to the press.-

The construction and arrangement of one form of apparatus embodying the principles of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 7 Figure 1 is a perspective end view of a fountain assembly of a pr nting press;

Figure 2 is an end view in elevation of the ink-fountain assembly .andthe supporting bracket therefor; 1

Figure 3 is .a sectional View through the end of the assembly that is shown in Figure 2 I Figure 4 is a plan view in elevation of the supporting spider or bracket for the several ink fountains, disposed at one end of the assembly;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the spider bracket shown in Figure 4;;

Figures. 7 and 8 are respectively end elevational and side sectional views of the drivmg end of the spindle;

Figures 9 and 10 are respectively end and side elevational views of the clutch block, carried by the spindle for engaging the roll of the working fountain;

Figures 11 and 12 are end and side elevational views of a cap screw located at each 7 end of the fountain assembly for locking the assembly in working position to prevent displacement during operation; and

Figure 13 is a vertical sectional view of the fountain assembly taken through one fountain, as used from the press side of the mechanism; and

Figures 14, and 15 are end elevational and side sectional views of a slide box bearing and positioning gear for supporting each end of the fountain assembly.

My invention, although not limited in its application to a printing press of any particular type, is illustrated applied toa cylinder press, embodying a horizontally reciproeating plate, and a horizontally reciprocating inkingplate or table. The printing mechanism and the ink-distributing apparatus are not shown in detaihtheir operation and construction being already well established.

My invention is particularly concerned with the ink-supplying apparatus or ink fountains, which supply the ink to theinkdistributing apparatus of the press.

In the perspective view that is illustrated in Figure 1, the fountain assembly is shown withdrawn from the normal working position. WVhen ink of a selected color is to be used, the fountain containing that ink is moved into forward position so that it may engage the actuating mechanism of the machine whenthe entire fountain assembly is moved forward into working position. In that position the working fountain supplies ink to the distributing apparatus, including several sets of ink rolls and areciprocating inking plate. The other two fountains are not in use, but inasmuch as the entire assembly is moved forward to working position, the two inactive fountains are normally'out of the way during operation.

The fountain assembly comprises, in general, three fountains respectively numbered 1, 2, and 3. Each fountain embodies an inkcontaining trough 4 and a feed roll or drum 5. Each feed roll 5 embodies two short shafts press to the roll of a working 6 and 7 that extend through the side walls at each end of the associated trough. The end of the shaft 6 of each feed roll is provided with a transverse diametral slot 8 for receiving an element of a driving clutch, to periodically and progressively actuate the feed roll when itis in workingposition.

In the present instance, the fountain assembly is illustrated as embodying three fountains. 'Of course, any number may be provided, subject to physical limitations. In order that the fountain assembly may be selectively shifted to move a desired fountain into working position, the three fountains are supported upon two spiders, or Y shaped brackets, 10 and 11, having three arms equally spaced apart. The spiders are mounted upon a tubular shaft 12, the ends of which are supported in and between two slide box bearings 13 and 1 1, that move simultaneously and in synchronism in two slideways 15. and 16, in order to move the entire ink fountain assembly toward and awayfrom working position. The two slide box bearings are controlled by a squaring shaft 18, extending through the tubular shaft 12, in co-operation with two pinions 19 and 20 are fixedly secured to the squaring shaft 18, and movement is imparted to the pinions by rotation of the squaring shaft by means of a handle 24.

IVhen the fountain assembly is moved forward to working position by means of the squaring shaft, and the roll of the working fountain is operatively connected to the driving mechanism, the fountain assembly is locked in position by two cap screws 25. Each cap screw is supported in and guided by a threaded end plate 26 at the rear end ofthe press frame, the end plate servingas a limiting end wall for each of the slideways 15 and 16. The cap screw is provided with a threaded section fitting into the end plate 26, and when fully threaded into that plate abuts against the back of the associated slide box bearing 13 or 14, to hold the slide box bearing stationary in position against the positioningstop 17 in front of the box.

Since the fountain assembly must be rotated in order to place a desired fountain in proper position for working operation, it is necessary to provide .some means for maint aining the respective fountains horizontal section 30 for closing the ends of the trough and an extending lug or box having two stepped portions 31 and respectively, in-

tegral with the wall section: An opening 33 extends through the wall, 30 and also through the two ends of the assembly.

the extending lug portions 31 and 32. The latter two lug portions serve as an extended bearing for the shafts .or spindles 6 and '7 of the feed roll or drum of the fountain.

The first extending lug portion 31 of the trough end wall is cylindrical in form to serve as a journal or trunnion for the entire fountain unit. lit fits into one of the opening at the end of each arm of the spider brackets 10 and 11. Each arm of the spider bracket, there-fore, serves as a bearing for the trunnion lugs 31 of each fountain. The second or outer portion 32 has a positioning gear 35 fixedly mounted thereon, which acts upon the extending lug 32, and, through it, upon the trough of the fountain, to rotate the entire trough or fountain unit in the spider openings 3 1 as bearings. Turning force is supplied to the positioning gear 35 of each fountain unit by an idler 36 which meshes with, and rides upon, a (Figures 1 1 and that constitutes part of the'slide box and slides with it but is prevented from rotating around its own axis, due to the flat surfaces 41 and 12. 1

Each idler gear 36 is mounted on a stud or pin 38 fixed in each arm of the spider bracket between the center of rotation of the bracket and the center of the hearing at the end of each arm. The fixed central gear 37 and the positioning gears associated with each fountain should have the same number of teeth and should be of the same diameter.

Since'the central gear 3'? is fixed against rotation around its axis, any movement that is imparted to the spider, to rotate the spider and thereby to shiftany of the fountains into desired position, causes a positioning gear 35 to be moved in one direction by the associated idler gear 36, through an angle in that direction equal to the angle that the idler gear advances in the other direction around the fixed central gear 37. This, as the fountains are revolved around the spider shaft, through an angle in one direction, their positioning gears rotate in the opposite direc-. tion, through an equal angle, to maintain the sereral fountains always in horizontal position, assuming that they have been adjusted to that position when first assembled, as would be the case.

The spiders at both ends of the assembly for supporting the several fountains are similar, as are also the positioning and idler gears and the fixed central gears. Those elements, together with the squaring shaft and the pinions at both ends of the shaft, cause corre sponding similar synchronous movements of Figures 1 1 and 15 illustrate the construe tion of the fixed central gear 3'? which also constitutes part of the slide box bearings 13 and let serving as bearings for the tubular shaft 12 that connects the two spider brackets 10 and 11. Two similar fixed gears 37 are fixed central gear 37,

slideways 15 and '16; The two side surfaces of the sleeve 40 are machined to provide two vertical plane surfaces. The sleeve, when so shaped, constitutes substantially a rectangular box of such dimensions as to permit a sliding fit, in andbetween the top and the bottom arms of the slideways 15 and 16. The top and the bottom arms of the two slideways l5 and 16 thus serve both as guides and as supports for thecentral gear 37 which also functions as a sliding bearing box for the tubular shaft 12 carrying the spider bracket. The

two flatvertical side surfaces of the sliding bearing box 10 permit it to be properly'locked in position between the stops 17 and the cap screws 25.

In order to prevent the main shaft from shifting axially, a rotatingslide plate 15 is supported by a flange lti in fixed position at each end of the main, shaft 12 and against the side surfaces ofthe slideways 15 and 16. g The flange-46 is keyed to the shaft 12 and is secured to the slide plate 15by suitable bolts 47. Since the spider is also keyed to the main shaft 12, the spider and the flange serve to hold the sliding box gear 37 and the slide plate 15 in sliding surface-to-surface engagement with the side surfaces of the slideways 15 and 16'.

.11; will be observed, upon referring to Figure ,3, that the track- 22 for the squaring shaft pinions 19 is secured to and supported by the bottom arm tom'arm of the slideway 16 similarly supports the track 23 for the pinion 20. v By means of the arrangement that is illustrated and described, threeink fountains may be easily mounted, and controlled to permit any fountain to be selectively placed in working position with respect to the press, while at the same time maintaining all of the fountains in horizontal position and them to be employed continuously for supply ing ink of the same color, and thereby obviating the necessity of periodically cleanin a single fountain to permit its use for-a d1 erent colored ink.

and thebottom surfaces of the sleeve permitting 1 1- of the slideway 15. The bot- Clutch mechanism whereby the feed roll I of an ink fountain is periodically and progressively turned to supply ink to the distributing apparatus, is illustrated in Figures 6 to 10 inclusive; g a

In the operatioirof the press, the inkis transferred from the feed roll of a fountain in wor ring position to one of the distributing rollers of the distributing apparatus, by an oscillating transfer roll .50. In Figure lthe transfer roll 50 1s mdicatedas being disposed between the position that would be occupied f f the spindle 56.

by a fountain roll in working position and the first set of'distributing rollers 51.

The transfer roll-50 is arranged to be periodically actuated in an oscillating movement by a suitable connection to the main actuating mechanism of the press. In the View that is illustrated in Figure 1, a rocker arm 52 at each side'of the press is actuated by a link mechanism 53 connected to the actuating mechanism of the press. I

The actuating mechanism for the feed roll of the fountain that is in working position, comprises, as is illustrated in Figure 6, a bearing bracket 55 of inverted U-shape, a rollactuating spindle 56 and a clutch element 57 for engaging'and fitting into the diametral slot 8 in the end of shaft 6 of the feed roll in working position.

The bearing bracket 55 is supported on the frame of the press and is arranged to provide a two-bearing support for the actuating spindle 56. The drive spindle comprises, as is illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8, a hollow tubular body portion 58 and an enlarged cup portion 59 at the actuating end of the spindle. The cup 59 of the spindle is provided with two parallel longitudinally extending-slots 61, oppositely disposed in the side walls, for 'receiving and guiding a clutch block 62 in its movement into and out of engagement with the fountain feed roll in working position.

The clutch block 62 is illustrated in Figures 9 and 1 0 as comprising a'circular piston 63 having two lugs or fingers 64 extending laterally and radially from the piston 63, of

such size as to extend outward into the guide slots 61 ofthe spindle head cylinder 59 and also into the drive slot 8 of the feed roll shaft 6. The piston body 63 of the clutch block is provided with' a central threaded opening into which is securely threaded and anchored a control rod or stem 66 for withdrawing the clutch block 62 from-engagement with a feedroll or for permitting the'clut-ch block is normally biased to operative or engaging position by a back spring 67 within the cylinder cup 59.

-The free end of the positioning rod or stem 66 for the clutch block extends backward through the cylindrical body '58 of the spindle 56 where its outer end is threaded and engaged by a threaded nut 68 for withdrawing the stem or releasing it to move the clutch in one direction or the other.

Motion is imparted to the working fountain roll through a pawl and ratchet mechanism 70 that i. mounted on the body 58 of The ratchet wheel is keyed to the spindle body and the pawl is mounted on and controlled by the rocker arm 52, pivotally journalled on the body of the spindle ad acent the ratchet wheel 70. The lever 53 connected to the rocker arm is actuated periodically by the mechanism of the press, to'

oscillate'the arm andto actuate the pawl against the ratchet wheel 70. By means of a suitable link mechanism, the extent of movement of the lever 53 may be regulated or adjusted to cause the pawl to actuate the ratchet wheel a predetermined distance corresponding to a predetermined number of teeth on the ratchet wheel 70.

By means of an arrangement as described, it is possible to use several fountains in one printing press. A great amount of time is thus saved which would otherwise be lost in cleaning a fountain for fresh ink of a different color.

My invention is not limited to the specific details of design and construction illustrated since various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a printing machine, thecombination with an ink-distributing apparatus, an inktransfer roll, and machine-actuating mechanism of a plurality of ink-fountains for supplying ink to the transfer roll, a rotatable support for the fountains, means for maintaining the fountains horizontal as the support is rotated, means for moving the support and the fountains into and out of operative relation with the transfer roll and the actuating mechanism, and means for selectively positioning a desired fountain in operative position. v

2. In a printing machine, the combination with an ink-distributing apparatus, an ink transfer roll, and machine-actuating mechathe fountains in horizontal position while ro-- tating the support to place a selected. fountain in desired position, and means for replacing the selected fountain in operative position in engagement with the transfer roll and in connection with the actuating mecha nism, and means for securing the support in operative position.

3. In a printing machine, the combination with an ink-distributing apparatus and an ink-transfer roll for transferring ink to the apparatus, of means for supplying ink to the transfer roll comprising a plurality of ink fountains, a rotatable support therefor embodying a shaft and two spaced spiders thereon,'having an ex'ending arm for each fountain, a central anchored surrounding the shaft adjacent each spider, a similar gear on each fountain structure and an idle between the anchored gear and each fountain gear for maintaining the fountains horizontal while the rotatable support is rogear coaxially tated to place a desired fountain in operating position.

i. In a printing press, the combination with an inkdistributing system, an ink-transfer roll therefor, and actuating mechanism therefor, of an ink fountain assembly for supplying ink to the system through the medium of the transfer roll, said assembly comprising three ink fountains respectively, embodying a frame and a drum, two spaced spiders having three extending arms for sup porting the three fountains, a tubular shaft for supporting each end of the shaft, a slideway for each box, and means for moving the assembly as a unit into and out of operating position relative to the transfer roll including a squaring shaft and journalled in the slide boxes, a pinion on each end of the squaring shaft and an anchored rack positioned to engage each pinion. I

5. In a printing press, the combination with an ink-distributing system, an ink-transfer roll therefor, and actuating mechanism therefor, of an ink fountain assembly for supplying ink to the system through the medium of the transfer roll, said assembly comprising three ink fountains respectively embodying a frame and a drum, two spaced spiders having three extending arms for supporting the three fountains, a tubular shaft for supporting the spiders, a box for supporting each end of the shaft, a slideway for each box, means for simultaneously moving both boxes in the slideways and means for securing the boxes and, consequently, the fountain assembly against casual movement from working position relative to the transfer roll.

6. In a printing press, the combination with an ink-distributing system, an ink-transfer roll therefor, and actuating mechanism there-, for, of an ink fountain assembly for supplying ink to the system through the medium of the transfer roll, said assembly comprising three ink fountains respectively embodying a frame and a drum, a rotatable support for the fountains, means for disengaging an operating fountain from the actuating mechaand maintaining the relative positions of the inactive fountains always the same relative to the working parts of the press.

8. In a printing press, the combination with an ink-distributing system, an ink-transfer roll therefor,and actuating mechanism ther'efor, of an ink fountain assembly for supplying ink to the system-through the medium of the transfer roll, said assembly comprising a plurality of ink fountains, means for supporting one fountain in working position to co-operate with the transfer roll, andthe other fountains .in inactive position, and means 'cooperative with said supporting means for withdrawing the fountainassembly from operative relationship, and means for placing another fountainin working position and in operative relationship with the press.

9. An assemblycombination as specified in claim 8, in which the inactive fountains always occupy the saine positlons during operation of the press.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subv scribed my name this 8th day of February, 1930.

KENNETH P. ROLSTON.

nism, means for withdrawing the assembly a from working position to permit another fountain to be moved to working position and for then returning the assembly to working position, means for operatively connecting the desired fountain to the actuating mechanism, and means for maintaining the foun tains in horizontal position throughout all movements and adjustments.

7. In a printing press, the combination with 7 plurality of ink fountains, and means for selectively positioning a selected fountain in working position relative to the transfer roll, 

